Judge says Florida migrant flights lawsuit needs changes
A Leon County circuit judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit filed by a South Florida senator challenging the use of state funds to transport migrants from Texas to Marthaโs Vineyard in Massachusetts, but advised how to revamp the legal complaint so the case can move forward.
Floridaโs โanti-riotโ bill faces uncertain fate in Senate
With the number of weeks left before the Legislatureโs scheduled adjournment in the final week of April, lawmakers also are beginning to tackle the state budget with more urgency. But proposals like the anti-riot bill are consuming much of the air in the Florida statehouse this session. The measure could spawn an interesting dynamic in the state Senate, where it has yet to get a hearing. The House passed the measure Friday, with the Republican majority arguing that the measure was needed to preserve law and order. Another House committee is taking up a proposal that would abolish the stateโs Constitution Revision Commission.
Florida tourism numbers lowest since 2010
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. โ The coronavirus ended a decade of record-setting tourism numbers in Florida, with the industry seeing a 34% drop in visitors in 2020 compared to the prior year. The hospitality and leisure industries handled 82.315 million visitors in 2010 and 87.307 million in 2011. AdโNo one is going to argue that tourism is not the largest industry in the state of Florida. Visit Florida is not one of those vital roles, โSuderman said. AdAccording to the Visit Florida numbers, the state drew an estimated 20.62 million visitors in the fourth quarter of 2020, down 33.1 percent from the prior year.
A fraction of former Florida felons will be able to vote this election
But just a fraction of the so-called โreturning citizensโ targeted by the measure will be able to participate in the Nov. 3 presidential election. โThe Legislature purposely set up a system that was designed for voter suppression, and it has worked,โ Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg, a former Democratic state senator, told The News Service of Florida. The 11th Circuitโs decision means that felons must clear up financial obligations to be legally eligible to register and vote. Itโs unclear, however, how many felons have registered to vote since the amendment went into effect in January 2019. Volz --- whose group is also engaged in voter-registration activities --- acknowledged that heโd like to see more felons participating in the upcoming presidential election.
Florida unemployment call center workers hit roadblocks trying to help unemployed, lawmaker says
News 6 could not independently authenticate the messages, which Pizzo said he obtained from a call center worker known to him. They are a Disney employee,โ the unidentified call center worker wrote in the electronic message. Since late March, DEO has been able to add more than additional nearly 6,000 contact center representatives through our contracted contact centers and our DEO team members. "To understand the volume of calls DEO receives, the week ending March 8, DEO received 28,000 calls and the week ending March 14, DEO received 224,000 calls. "DEO has mandated to all contact center vendors that all contact center representatives should be Floridians.
Florida not ready to administer retroactive payments, pandemic benefits to those who have exhausted unemployment
Since mid-March, Floridians unable to work due to the pandemic have struggled to receive unemployment benefits through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity website CONNECT or to speak to a human due to the volume of calls and applications. The state has paid more than $579 million in unemployment, more than half funded by federal pandemic aid. โThe PEUC program provides up to 13 weeks of Reemployment Assistance benefits to individuals who have exhausted regular unemployment benefits under state or federal law or have no rights to regular unemployment benefits under state or federal law. He said it could be another five to seven days before those applications can be processed through the DEO CONNECT system. More than 266,000 people were declared ineligible and may qualify for federal benefits, according to the DEO dashboard.
Questions about Florida unemployment? Hereโs your chance to ask
On Thursday, two state senators will host a Facebook live with the official overseeing the stateโs coronavirus unemployment response. The Facebook live will likely be flooded with questions for Department of Management Services Secretary John Satter. Ron DeSantis appointed Satter to step in and oversee the stateโs unemployment surge. The state has paid more than $579 million in unemployment, more than half funded by federal pandemic aid. News 6 will also be listening in Thursday hoping to get responses to many unanswered questions.